“The Scripture
Was fulfilled
That says.
‘He was counted
Among the lawless.’”
Καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη
This verse is only in a few Orthodox manuscripts. This points to the role of the 2 bandits to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 53:12, about the suffering servant. Mark said that scripture was fulfilled (Καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ) that said (ἡ λέγουσα) that the suffering servant Messiah would be counted among the lawless (Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη).
“The Son of Man
Goes
As it is written
Of him.
But woe
To that one
By whom
The Son of man
Is betrayed!
It would have been better
For that man
Not to have been born.”
ὅτι ὁ μὲν Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑπάγει καθὼς γέγραπται περὶ αὐτοῦ· οὐαὶ δὲ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ δι’ οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται· καλὸν αὐτῷ εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος.
This is similar, exactly word for word, to Matthew, chapter 26:24, but more summarized in Luke, chapter 22:22. Mark, like Matthew, indicated that Jesus said that the Son of Man would go to death (ὅτι ὁ μὲν Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑπάγει), as it was written about him (καθὼς γέγραπται περὶ αὐτοῦ). Was this a reference to the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, chapters 52-53, and Psalm 22? However, then Jesus cursed the man who would betray the Son of Man (οὐαὶ δὲ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ δι’ οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται). He said that it would have been better if that man had never been born (καλὸν αὐτῷ εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος). This was a very strong curse, but without an exact identification for whom it was meant.
“About three o’clock,
The ninth hour,
Jesus cried
With a loud voice.
‘Eli!
Eli!
Lema sabachthani?’
That means.
‘My God!
My God!
Why have you
Forsaken me?’”
περὶ δὲ τὴν ἐνάτην ὥραν ἀνεβόησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων Ἡλεὶ λεμὰ σαβαχθανεί; τοῦτ’ ἔστιν Θεέ μου θεέ μου, ἵνα τί με ἐγκατέλιπες;
This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 15:34. Luke, chapter 23, and John, chapter 19, do not have these words of Jesus hanging on the cross. Matthew said that about three o’clock in the afternoon, the ninth hour (περὶ δὲ τὴν ἐνάτην ὥραν), Jesus cried with a loud voice saying (ἀνεβόησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων) “Eli! Eli! Lema sabachthani (Ἡλεὶ Ἡλεὶ λεμὰ σαβαχθανεί)?” Then Matthew explained what this meant (τοῦτ’ ἔστιν). This was a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, the Hebrew for God and Aramaic for the first verse from Psalm 22:1. “My God! My God (Θεέ μου θεέ μου,)! Why have you forsaken, abandoned, or deserted me (ἵνα τί με ἐγκατέλιπες)?” This Psalm 22 was a psalm of David asking for help or deliverance from a serious illness or persecution, much like the suffering servant in Isaiah, chapters 52-53. Thus, Jesus, the suffering servant son of David, quoted the first verse of this psalm as he hung on the cross. Why was there no help coming from God?
He
“Yahweh shot
Into my vitals
The arrows
Of his quiver.
I have become
The laughingstock
Of all my people.
I have become
The object
Of their taunt-songs
All day long.
He has filled me
With bitterness.
He has filled me
With wormwood.”
This suffering servant complains that Yahweh has shot an arrow into his vital organs. He has become the laughing stock of his people, as they sing taunting songs to and about him all day long. He has been filled with bitterness and forced to eat the bitter wormwood plant. This is a real unhappy dude. These three verses start with the Hebrew consonant letter He in this acrostic poem.
“Surely he has borne our infirmities.
He has carried our diseases.
Yet we accounted him stricken.
He was struck down by God.
He was afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
Upon him
Was the punishment
That made us whole.
By his bruises
We are healed.
All of us
Like sheep
Have gone astray.
We have turned
To our own way.
Yahweh has laid on him
The iniquity of us all.”
According to Second Isaiah, this suffering servant has become a scapegoat for all of us, at least the Israelites. He bears their infirmities and diseases. He suffers their illness for them. God has stricken and afflicted him. He was wounded for their transgressions and crushed for their sins. His punishment made them whole. His bruises healed them. They were like sheep that had gone astray. He carries the iniquity of all of them. Who is this servant? How can it be Israel saving Israel? You can see why the early Christian writers applied these same ideas about this suffering servant in Second Isaiah to Jesus Christ in a more universal appeal.
“Yahweh God helps me.
Therefore I have not been disgraced.
Therefore I have set my face
Like a flint.
I know that I shall not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is Yahweh God who helps me.
Who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out
Like a garment.
The moth will eat them up.”
Second Isaiah says that this suffering servant will be vindicated. God would help him, so that he can suffer for God’s sake. This servant had a hard flint like face, because he knew that he would not be put to shame. Yahweh was near to him. Who was going to contend with this servant? Where were his adversaries? He would stand together with Yahweh. Let them try to confront him, because God would help him. No one will declare him guilty. All of them will wear out like a moth eaten old garment. Thus this is suffering for God with a clear purpose.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 